EDITORIAL: Blumenthal uses Sandy Hook to raise campaign cash

We're glad that U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and Gov. Dannel Malloy are talking in detail about the victims of Sandy Hook as part of a push for federal gun control legislation.

Members of Congress need to know that Dylan Hockley "loved jumping on trampolines and watching movies" and that he "died in his teacher's arms."

They should meet Benjamin Wheeler's parents and know what they've lost.

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What Murphy and Malloy are doing is not politicizing a tragedy. It's an important part of the discussion around restricting the kind of mass murder weaponry used to kill 20 children and six educators on Dec. 14.

They are helping give voice to the victims' families. Malloy went so far as to send public Twitter messages to U.S. senators who were blocking a vote on gun legislation, asking that they return phone calls from the daughter of murdered Sandy Hook Elementary School Principal Dawn Hochsprung.

The issue took a disgusting political turn on Thursday, though, when U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., used Sandy Hook to raise money. The money is not for one of the relief funds set up to help victims' families, or to fund mental health services, or to support autism research.

"In the wake of the horror of the December 14, 2012, massacre of 20 beautiful children and 6 dedicated educators," Blumenthal is asking supporters to send money to his 2016 re-election campaign!

"As your senator, I will continue fighting for the rights of all the people, not the special interests. But I need your help," Blumenthal wrote in an email to supporters Thursday morning. "Please contribute $5 now as the Senate debate continues on common-sense gun reform legislation this week."

Constant fundraising and the recent trend of fundraising off real-time reaction to the news of the moment have officially jumped the shark, courtesy of Blumenthal's tasteless auto-appeal.

Senators are elected every six years in part to give them some time to legislate without an eye on the next campaign. But the campaign - and its drive for money to buy elections - is constant.

There are lots of ways and lots of time for Sen. Blumenthal to raise money for his re-election campaign before 2016.

Using the "horror" of the "massacre of 20 beautiful children" at a time when critical legislation honoring their memory is at stake to beg for $5 for your next political campaign is as tasteless as it gets.